Pictorial device.



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PICTURIAL DEVICE.

(Application filed Feb. 3, 1902,!

Patented Apr. 29, I902.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. IMHOF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LITHOGRAPHIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PICTORIAL DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 698,838, dated April 29, 1902.

Application filed February 3, 1902. Serial No. 92,323. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it mctyconcern:

Be it known that I, JosEBH A. IMHOF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pictorial Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to articles made of paper or similar material, and more particularly to fancy articles or toys consisting of two or more sections which are printed or otherwise pictorially decorated and out so that when they are combined they represent in appearance and outline any object or group of objects which the fancy may dictate, said articles being known in the art as cut-outs. These articles usually consist of a base-section and of one or more upright sections supported on the base-section, and heretofore it has been customary to so join or fasten the upright sections to the base as to have the upright section flat, or substantially so. The structure thusformed, however, has always proved unstable, the upright sections having a tendency to fall over onto the base-section or into a position having an acute angle to the base section, thereby spoiling the v pictorial effect. In order to prevent this as much as possible, the articles have been printed on comparatively heavy paper or cardboard, thereby greatly increasing the cost of production.

Myinvention has for an object to overcome this difficulty, and more especially to provide a construction of the character indicated in which the parts will maintain their proper relative positions even though made of thin paper. These and other objects of my invention will more fully appear in the following description.

Myinvention consists in the novel parts, improvements, and combinations herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings,.which are referred to herein and form a part hereof, illustrate several embodiments of my invention and serve, in connection with the description herein, to explain the principles thereof and the best mode contemplated by me of carrying those principles into efiect. v

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank adapted to form an upright section of a device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of asection adapted to form a base for the section shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view illustrating the manner of securing together the sections shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a similar View illustrating a different way of securing the parts together; Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating a modification of the section shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a plan'view illustrating the blank shown in Fig. 5 as secured to a base.

In accordance with my invention the upright section is curved, so as to maintain an upright position with relation to the base, and it is so connected to the base as to retain its curved form. Where the upright section is printed on one of its surfaces only and so is intended to be viewed from one side only, it is preferably so curved as to present the convex side to the view, and preferably also the curvature is so slight that the front side has the appearance of a fiat surface. The two sections may be secured together in any way which is adapted to retain the curvature of the upright section. As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive,:the upright section 1 is provided at its lower edge with a plurality of tongues 2, and the base-section 3 is provided with a plurality of slits 4, corresponding in number and adapted to receive the tongues 2. Instead of forming the slits 4 on a straight line, as is the usual practice, they are in accordance with my invention so formed as to require the upright section 1 to be curved or flexed cylindrically as if around a longitudinal axis before the tongues 2 can be inserted in the slits 4 and so as to maintain the section 1 in its curved position as long as the tongues are retained in the slits. As shown, the slits 4 form arcs of the same circle, and they are preferably placedat such a distance apart that the distance between the outer edges of the slits when measured along the arc of the circle equals the distance between the outer edges of the tongues 2 as measured along the bottom of the section 1. that the slits in the base will be nearer together, the shortest distance between them as measured along the base being considered, than are the tongues on the upright section,

It will be-understood the shortest distance between the tongues as measured along the upright section being considered. By reason of this construction when the tongues 2 are inserted in the slits 4- the section l.will be unable to straighten itself out into a fiat condition, as the expansive force due to the resiliency of the paper will be resisted by the outer ends of the slits 4. The relative arrangement of the slits 4, moreover, will tend to keep the section 1 in its curved condition. In order that the base may lie fiat on a table or support, the tongues 2 after being inserted in the slits 4 are preferably bent laterally, so as to lie flat against the bottom of its base-section. The tongues may be bent radially inward toward the center of curvature of the section 1, as indicated in Fig. 3, or they may be bent radially outward with relation to the center of curvature, as shown in Fig. 4E. Preferably, however, they are bent outwardly, as when in this position they are not so apt to be withdrawn from the slits by the natural resiliency of the paper. In this position, moreover, their outer edges form such an angle with relation to the slits 4 as to effectively prevent them from slipping out of the slits.

Instead of forming the tongues 2 directly on the bottom edge of the upright section they may be formed on lateral extensions of said section, as indicated in Fig. 5, in which 5 represents the lateral extensions formed at the lower edge of an upright section 6 and 7 the tongues projecting downwardly from the extensions 5. With this form of the device the slits in the base-section may be formed on any desired angle with relation to each other, so long as the tongues 7 cannot be inserted therein without giving the, up right section 6 a suitable degree of curvature. As shown in Fig. 6, the slits in the base are formed on an acute angle with relation to each other, so that the extensions 5 are bent backwardly with relation to the body of the upright section, and the inner edges of the slits are somewhat closer together than the inner edges of the tongues 7, so that when the two sections are secured together the upright section will be retained in a curved form, as indicated in Fig. 6. WVith this form of the device the tongues 7 are bent outwardly, so that they will not be forced out of the slits by the expansive tendency of the upright section. Two tongues arranged at or near the opposite sides of the upright section are preferably employed and are preferably secured to the base-section by being "passed through the slits therein. A greater number of tongues otherwise disposed may be used, if desired, and they may be secured to the base-section in other ways, as by being pasted thereon. While the slits 4 in the first form of the device are preferably formed on the arcs of circles, as shown, it is obvious that substantially the same results will be produced if these slits are formed on straight lines, so

long as they are so disposed with relation to each other as to maintain the upright section in its curved form.

It will be seen, therefore, that my invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the precise construction-shown nor to the particular construction by which it may be carried into effect, as many changes may be made in such construction and especially in the means for securing the two sections together without departing from the main principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a base-section, of an upright section, said upright section being curved so as to maintain an upright position, said sections being connected together so as to retain the upright section in its curved form.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a base-section, of an upright section, said upright section being curved so as to maintain an upright position, and connections between said sections, said connections consisting of tongues and slits so arranged as to retain the upright section in its curved form.

3. In a-device of the character described, the combination with a base-section, of an upright section, said upright section being curved so as to maintain an upright position, and connections between said sections, said connections consisting of tongues on the upright section and slits in the basesection, the slits being so disposed that when the tongues are inserted therein the upright section will be retained in its curved form.

at. In a device of the character described, the combination with a base-section, of an upright section, said upright section being connected at or near the opposite ends of its lower edge to the base-section at points on the latter which are nearer together than are the points of connection on the upright section, whereby the upright section is flexed so as to maintain an upright position and is retained in its flexed condition.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a base-section, of an upright section, said upright section having depending tongues at or near the opposite ends of its lower edge and said base-section having slits which are nearer together than are the tongues on the upright section, whereby the upright section when connected to the base-section is flexed so as to maintain an upright position.

6. In a deviceof the character described, the combination with a base-section, of an upright section, said upright section being curved cylindrically and provided at its lower end with radially-projecting tongues connected to said base-section.

7. In a device of the character described,

IIO

the combination with a base having two slits I In testimony whereof I have signed my located on arcs of the same circle, of an upname to this specification in the'presence of 1 o right section having tongues inserted through two subscribing witnesses. 1 the slits of and bent under the base-section A 5 in a radial'direction with relation to the arcs JOSEPH IMHOF" described by the slits, whereby the upright Witnesses:

section is caused to maintain an upright po- ANNIE E. KEHOE, sition. J. V. SLOAN. 

